


We Do Not Sow

by seraph7



Series: YoungHollywood! Game of Thrones AU [3]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crack, Gen, Heavy Metal, RPF, Sibling Incest, Sibling Rivalry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-06-23
Updated: 2014-03-31
Packaged: 2017-11-08 08:55:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/441435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seraph7/pseuds/seraph7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Theon is desperate to join Krakken, the most debauched and controversial Death Metal band in town. But a case of mistaken identity nearly spoils everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There are references to sibling incest in this. If you have read A Clash of Kings, then you'll have a good idea of where this is going

Theon and Robb drove up to the rundown studios in a scummy part of LA and parked outside. 

“Are you sure this is the place?” Robb asked giving the place a dubious look. In the back of the car Arya wrinkled her nose at the scuzziness of their surroundings. Weeds grew out of the cracks in the sidewalk and the alleyway smelt faintly of stale burrito, weed and piss.

“You coming, Arya? At least to the doorway-” Robb turned to ask Arya.

Arya looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “I’m staying in the car, thanks- and I’m locking my car door. I might get mugged or worse otherwise.” She started to smirk. “Theon, you’re on your own.”

“They definitely gave you the right address?” Robb fretted, looking round him in a doubtful fashion. “Not gonna lie, this is a dodgy part of town.”

“Positive-“

“You sure this is what you want?” He ran a hand through his rusty curls, messing them up even further. He leant against the side of the car. “You know you could stay in the band if that’s what you want. You know the songs. It won’t be the same without you.” 

Theon had to ignore the pleading tone of Robb’s voice. 

If the truth be known, he would love nothing better than to stay with the band writing songs and playing lead. But he knew that he couldn’t deny what he was. That 2nd guitarist spot was his. He was going to join Krakken, it had been his ambition ever since he had picked up a plectrum as a green kid.

“It’s the family band. I’m a Greyjoy, it’s all I’ve ever wanted since I started to play. You know I want to play heavier stuff than the rest of you and I’m not sure-“

“Not sure of what?” Robb asked.

Theon found it hard to admit the issue that had been niggling him for a while and caused most of the arguments with Arya. Since they both did most of the songwriting, it was quite a bone of contention. “Whether my stuff fits the band any more. I know what I’m doing-”

Robb took his determination well, supportive friend as always. “Hey break a leg, man. I hope it all goes well. We’re all going to miss you.”

“Even Arya?” Theon couldn’t help sounding a little sceptical. He wasn’t about to forget the raging arguments he had with Arya very regularly about creative differences. She might be tiny, but she was a regular spitfire in a fight.

“She’s fond of you, really.”

“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Robb.” She muttered from inside the car.  
Theon doubted it, but didn’t say anything.

Theon was a badly snarled knot of nerves as he entered the rehearsal rooms, not sure of what to expect from the band. He felt the adrenaline rush, so strong he feared he was going to be sick for a moment.  
Krakken had a reputation for untamed shows and strict adherence to a cultish lifestyle few were prepared to emulate. They were feral, controversial and showed more than a streak of debauched insanity which had made them the talk of the scene and gained them adoring fans and cult status.

Theon was determined to join the group. 

He made sure he listened to all their EPs and albums, even their most obscure b-sides which only came out on limited edition coloured vinyl. He worked out the chords and tunings by ear, transcribed the lyrics painstakingly playing the tracks over and over. He lived breathed and idolised the band. He’d been dreaming of the day he would be good enough to join. 

It had been great playing with Robb and Arya. They’d had a lot of fun and they’d got miles better since they first picked up instruments and started bashing out a few punk tunes because that was all they knew the right chords for. But it was time to move on.

I know I’m a shit-hot guitarist, He told himself sounding more confident than he felt. I’ll ace it and when they find out about my inside connection it’s a done deal. He told himself as he entered the rehearsal space.  
Theon wondered if the rest of the band would even recognise or remember him. He was only a kid when he’d got taken into care, the road not being a suitable place for a kid. Theon had been in the system for a couple of years before the Starks had taken him in and fostered him.

But he’d always dreamed of coming back to his own family and being a Greyjoy at last. No matter how kind Ned and Catelyn Stark had been to him and he was grateful for their care and warm family life, this was his real family, his people. 

He dreamed of joining Krakken and proving that he was a part of the group. Part of the family at last.


	2. Chapter 2

When he got into the rehearsal room Theon noticed a girl with messy brownish hair and ripped fishnets nodding her head furiously, ipod buds firmly in her ears. Theon took a moment to size her up while her attention was on her music, mouthing the words and occasionally clenching a fist.

Great legs and fantastic arse, he thought irrationally to himself; following the line of her limbs to her cut off denim shorts which barely skimmed her groin, and heavy battered Black and grey New Rocks customised with gold scribbles. She was wearing a clinging faded vintage Krakken tee washed so often it had gone butter-soft and grey in the wash. Her look pretty much declared ‘metal chick’ right down the the battered leather jacket slung over an amp in the corner.  
Looks a bit grubby but she’s fucking hot. I definitely would, Theon thought to himself with an appreciative leer. 

She might not be model-hot, unlike many of the LA wannabes milling round the clubs looking for attention from budding rock gods but there’s something incredibly sexy about this girl. I bet she’s an animal in the sack.

Maybe it was her ‘I don’t give a fuck’ attitude or the faint haughtiness of her expression as she finally noticed him and deigned to take her earbuds out. Whatever it was, Theon was hooked right away.  
“You here for the audition then?” she asked, not bothering to sound that welcoming.  
She must be one of the regular groupies, Theon assumed. Close to the band. Which band member was she screwing- Victarion? Euron? 

There was a little part of him that was irritated that none of the band were here yet to meet him, relegating him to being greeted by a groupie. He wasn’t a part of the band yet and he wanted it so bad, he could practically taste it. He could deal.

“Yeah, d’ye mind if I set up?”

She shrugged as if to say: Do what the fuck you want. No skin off my nose, is it?"

Despite her unfriendliness, Theon pressed on keen to chat up this chick while he set up his pedals and tuned his guitar.

“So how long have you been around the band?”

She gave him a look as if to ask: Are you fucking stupid? “Since I was a teen.”

“You go on tour with the band?”

“Yeah? What of it?” she said almost defiantly, daring him to say something.

“You must be a fan.”  
“You could say that.” She replied, sounding rather amused. “They like to have me round, I suppose. I don’t think you introduced yourself yet?-”

“Theon. Theon Greyjoy.”

Her eyebrows raised hearing his name, but Theon was too distracted to notice.

“Asha.” was all she said, giving a smile part knowing, and part mocking.

"You know when you smile at me like that you are pretty hot, you know that, right?" he said giving her a casual glance as he finished getting the right tunings and setting up his pedals. 

“You think I’m attractive?” she asked, getting right up in his face. You could spread the tension in the air like peanut butter on toast.  
She was so close to him when he slid his arms round her waist and pulled her close their bodies bumped together. Theon groaned as he pressed his stiffening prick against her, reacting to the tempting movement of her hips.

“Hell yeah.” He murmured before kissing her thoroughly. When he slid his tongue in her mouth, she paused for a moment, starting to respond to his advances, her hand curling round the back of his head. “You’ve no idea how much I want to bang you so hard you wouldn’t be able to walk for a week-“

She stopped, pushing him slightly away by placing a hand on his chest.

“You really don’t recognise me, do you?” she said, sounding quite serious all of a sudden.

Theon was too addled by arousal to take in her words. He was planting kisses on her neck, his hands wandering on her long lithe body, sliding up underneath the tee-shirt. “Should I?” he muttered.

“You never even asked me my name, did you?” 

“OK, what’s your name?” he muttered, eager to get back to making out.

She pulled away and looked him straight in the eye. “Asha Greyjoy, pleased to meet you.”

Theon pushed her away as if she had burnt him. He stared at her in horror, his face white. “Gr-Greyjoy? What? Is this some kind of a joke?”

“Nope!” She had the temerity to smirk at him, as if this was nothing but a huge joke.

“You kissed me back! You had your tongue in my mouth!” he protested, still feeling sick at the deception played on him. How could she have done this to him? He thought, conveniently forgetting that he was the one who started this.

“I wanted to see just how far you would go, just what kind of a man you are-” her lip curled, making him feel two inches tall. “Looks like I got all the information I needed, doesn’t it?”

“I am so-“ Theon could hear he was starting to gibber but he didn’t know what to say. This was nothing you could ever prepare for.

“I’d just like to point out your attitude towards women really sucks. I’d hoped you weren’t going to be one of those asshole rock-stars who think women are only good for being groupies and not playing in bands, 'cause you're going to get a rude awakening if that's the case."

Theon wanted to retaliate but he could other so he shut up, contenting himself with a offended glare at her.  
The rest of the band filtered in hefting their instruments and starting to set up. Theon was too shocked to take much in.  
“We all here?” Asha took charge. “This is Theon, he’s auditioning and then we need to talk about those dates at the Viper Room before Ozzfest.”  
“Another fucking guitarist,” one of the men groused. “Hope this one can actually play-“

Theon realised this was the legendary Balon Greyjoy and he was three feet away from his hero.   
His father.  
Asha’s father.

He was tall with greying hair, a hard-lived craggy face and dissipated mean eyes. If he had seen the two of them. Asha and Balon together at the start, he would have never made that rookie mistake. She really did look like him close up, it was unnerving.

What the hell was this? They were all deferring to her, waiting for her say-so. Almost as if she was the frontwoman of the band… 

Shit! He’d really ballsed up trying to chat her up like some pathetic little groupie content to hang on his every word and get the odd pity-fuck. He’d had no idea, she looked so different with her paint on.   
How the hell was he meant to fucking know she was his older sister? That she was actually in the band?

Oh fuck, he’d really screwed up now! And he was still going to have to audition. There was no way they’d allow him to wriggle out now!  
She was going to make his life hell, wasn’t she?

 

“You know ’We Do Not Sow’, don’t you?” she asked him, not hiding the patronising tone to her voice.

Of course he did, it was their most mainstream tune. Even Robb and Arya knew that one.

“Alright, let’s run through it.” She addressed the band, her voice turned into an authoritative snap. She directed a sneer at Theon. “You play rhythm and if you do good, you can play the second guitar solo, so we can check out your chops-“

Asha launched into the vocals and Theon nearly dropped his plectrum in shock. It was an effort to keep up with the blast beats in the chorus, he was so taken aback.  
No wonder he hadn’t been able to tell she was a woman on the record. He would never expected her to growl like that. She had a deep huge growl, right from the gut it was like being in the path of a hurricane just listening to her.  
He hated to admit it to himself but he knew there was no way he could compete with her vocals. She had a feral intensity that he couldn’t hope to match. No wonder they’d let her be lead singer after Balon moved into managing the band instead.

This was his moment. He couldn’t let himself down after all this. He came up with one of his best down and dirty riffs ready to solo and show his mettle.  
He was half-way through on of his best riffs, a wonderfully sinous doom-inflected solo when Balon called the band to a halt and left him stranded mid-chord.  
“We heard enough-“ he said, his voice gruff and as dismissive as hers. The band trooped off the stage, leaving Theon alone and bewildered by the abrupt dismissal.

Theon wanted to bitterly protest at not finishing his solo-his chance to shine- but he was so awed by Balon’s presence, he didn’t dare.

“Go and brew yerself a cup of tea, me and the band‘re going to talk about it and let you know.” Asha told him with a casual flick of her fingers.

Theon knew a brushoff when he heard one. She might have well just said: don’t call us, we’ll call you and be done with it.  
“I’ll wait here, shall I?” Theon piped up ineffectually but she’d already departed with the rest of the band without a glance back.


	3. Chapter 3

“What are you guys doing here?” Theon asked, surprised to see Robb and Arya at the door of the rehearsal room.

Robb shuffled in the doorway, a little bit shamefaced. “It’s just well, you were in there for a while and we just wondered how you were doing. We’ll clear off if we’re not wanted-“

Theon was so pleased to see a familiar and friendly face he beckoned them in. “I’m nearly done here.”

“How did it go?” Robb asked. “Were they impressed with your playing?”

He had to be honest with his friends. “I’m not sure-“

Robb looked at him with quizzical blue eyes, guileless and trusting. Theon found he couldn’t quite bear to disillusion him, not yet.  
“Long Story-“ he muttered. “Sit down, guys.”

“Well, we’ve come to a decision, lad-“ Balon said as the band filtered back into the rehearsal. He eyed the two Starks with an unfriendly eye. “What are they doing here?”  
"Umm, they're friends of mine."  
"We just wanted to see how he was doing. We'll go." Arya piped up politely. Balon didn't bother to respond to her, rudely taking no notice.

Theon tried not to look too eager, too desperate but he wanted it so badly

“We have got a place in the band for you.” Asha’s smirk did not bode well. She was enjoying every minute of his humiliation and what was worse, Robb and Arya were here to witness his comeuppance. He could have done without that!

“The second guitarist post’s been filled by Tris Botley.” She indicated a whey-faced lad who stared at her with an adoring gaze. “-but we were impressed with your musicality and knowledge of the back catalogue. So I persuaded Balon and the others to find you another position, just on a temporary basis.”

She opened a cupboard and handed him an instrument. “It’s about time we got ourselves a keyboardist for some atomspherics. Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth seem to do quite well with one and it means we can play some of our more complex studio tracks live.”

Theon was gobsmacked. He couldn’t believe it. “This is a keytar-“

Her eyes gleamed with malice. “Oh good, you’re familiar with the instrument. It won’t take you too long to get up to speed then.”

“Can I have a private word with you?”

Asha was about to refuse; he could tell by the stubborn jut of her chin, but she got up and jabbed a thumb towards the kitchen. “Two minutes, no more-“

Balon opened his mouth to interrupt but Asha forestalled him. “It’s cool, Dad. I got this.”

Theon tried to keep his cool at least until the kitchen door was closed.

“Keytar? You want me to play keytar?” he said, not hiding how appalled he was. “Is this some kind of a joke?”

“We made a decision.” Asha’s face was stony. “It was unanimous. The band all agreed.”

“You hired Tris Botley! There’s no way he’s as good a guitar player as I am! He’s not even a Greyjoy!”

“Oh? So what position did you think you deserved in the band? Just out of interest?” 

He didn’t like the sarcastic tone of her voice at that one.“I just wanted to play guitar, do some background vocals maybe. I do have a decent voice.”

She snorted with scornful laughter.“You thought you’d waltz in and take over my space in the band, just like that. My word, you must have such a high fucking opinion of yourself, mustn’t you?”

“That’s not what I said, you’re taking offence for no reason. Asha-”

“You want to know the truth? Balon didn’t want you in the band!” she snapped. “- and let’s be real here, if he knew what you were like, treating his darling girl like a fucking two bit groupie he wouldn’t let you in the band full stop.”

"You're threatening me?" Theon said in utter disbelief. "You'd tell him about our 'mistake'?"

“He listens to me, cos I’m his daughter. But he still leads the band and he makes the decisions. He didn’t want you.”

Theon’s face fell. Her bluntly spoken words had struck him to the core. 

She looked at him as if she thought he was going to cry. He would not give her the satisfaction of knowing she had got to him.

“Look, I didn’t mean to tell you so abrupt like that.” She said, trying to mollify him as she’d gone too far. “It’s not that you weren’t good. But Theon, it’s not just about that.” 

“What is it, then. If it’s not that I’m not good enough?” _Why doesn’t my own father want me?_

Asha seemed to search for the right words. “If you’re going to join a band like Krakken… well there’s a certain lifestyle you have to understand and fit into. Balon wasn’t convinced you could hack it-“

“How would he know if he wasn’t prepared to give me the chance?” He was so angry, so damn frustrated he didn’t care if he pissed her off any more. “You got me in to audition, but you didn’t even listen to the solo before cutting me off! You tell me I don’t ‘fit in’ with the band and the family but is that my fault? Really?”

Asha opened her mouth, but he didn’t give her the chance to cut him down.

“I’m his son, and he looked at me like I was dirt off his shoe.” his voice started to shake slightly. "I didn't ask to get taken into care, shunted from home to foster home until the Starks had the decency to to take me in and give me some sort of upbringing. And all you and Balon and the rest of the band can do is sneer at them when they come here and show the slightest bit of concern. Because that's what families are meant to do instead of screwing you over!-"

“I can see you’re upset.” She started to try and soothe him, a slightly stricken look on her face.

"Upset? That's a major understatement, isn't it. Sister?" he lashed out.

“You don’t have to make a decision right now. I’ll tell the rest of the band you’re considering my offer.” she said quietly. "Just have a think about things before you throw away what you always wanted. For what it worth-" she was about to reach out to him, but he swerved away still mad at her, at all of them, at himself. At everything. "-It a shame things didn't work out. Good bye little brother."

Theon stalked out, not even gracing her with a goodbye.

 

Theon stalked out of the kitchen with a stony face. “We’re going. Now.” He snapped at his friends.  
Robb and Arya followed meekly, sensing something was going on. They’d heard raised voices from the kitchen and the rest of the Greyjoys just stood there glowering at them in a most unfriendly fashion.It was more then a little intimidating frankly, a room full of tall burly musicians, covered with tats, leather and spikes all emanating menace was the most comfortable place to be. 

Theon brooded as they made their way back to the car. It was faintly insulting she expected him to stand in the corner meekly plinking away on a keytar of all things! That she could look him right in the eye and threaten him with revealing to Balon and the rest of the band his terrible mistake.  
If he had any pride at all he should have stood up and told Asha where to shove it, but he wanted to be in the band so damn badly. It was all he’d ever wanted for so long.  
Could he swallow his pride and make himself play keyboard?  
Even if it was Krakken?


	4. Chapter 4

“They weren’t very nice to you about it.” Robb observed as they drove back to the apartment. No censure or judgement in his voice, just quietly observing as he pulled out onto the freeway.  
“Perhaps I deserved it a little.” He admitted. He was man enough to admit when he was wrong. Even if he was still seething about that god damned Keytar!  
Robb turned sharply to stare at Theon. “You think you deserve to get talked to like a piece of shit?” he sighed. “- you know if you want to rejoin the band again, you’re more than welcome, no harm done.”  
“Hey!” Arya protested.  
“You didn’t hear me. I was so cocky, so fucking arrogant. You know I didn’t recognise her when I first met her and I thought she was just some groupie-“  
Arya knew exactly what had happened. She’d been around far too often to see how Theon tended to treat female fans and groupies. As for the ones who were stupid enough to go for his shtick, dazzled by his status in the band and his guitar playing, once he’d lost interest he could be pretty brutal. She’d had to talk more than a couple off the ledge after being dumped by him.  
Arya stifled an appalled laugh in the backseat. “Tell me you didn’t!”  
“I did. I fucking tried to pull her. She shot me down in flames.”  
“Oh Theon, what are you like?” Arya sighed.  
“I didn’t know she was my fucking sister! She might have mentioned it before making out with me! What the Fuck? Who does that anyway!” yelped Theon, sounding more than a little defensive at Arya’s amusement.  
She wanted to laugh but she could tell how gutted he was at mucking up his chance of joining his dream band. As much as a pain in the arse as he was, Theon was Robb’s mate and practically part of the family.  
“C’mon, let’s go back to the apartment. Your turn to cook tonight.”

Arya was sat in the diner tapping into her MacBook across from Robb and trying to get her essay done for Uni when a shadow darkened their table.  
“Can we talk for a moment?” said a voice.  
She looked up to see Asha Greyjoy standing over her, face scrubbed clean of all her war-paint and looking almost approachable despite her viciously spiked leather cuff and choker.  
Robb opened his mouth as if to say something cutting, but Arya managed to kick him under the table just in time.  
Arya shrugged and the other woman took that as a cue to pull out the seat and sit down opposite her.  
“I wanted to talk to you both about Theon.”  
Arya didn’t know what to say to her. They hadn’t been there for the duration of the audition but what they’d seen of it, no wonder Theon’s fragile pride had been bruised. She’d taken a malicious delight in making him play keytar and denying him the position in the band that he wanted.  
“This is so awkward- there’s a few things he needs to understand. I think all things considered we didn’t get off on the right foot.” Asha said, calling over Jeyne who was hovering to take an order. “Double ristretto and a large bacon bagel, thanks-“  
“Coming right up. Want a refill, Arya?”  
Arya gave her a dirty look. She hadn’t forgotten being mean-girled by Jeyne in their younger years and she’d encouraged Sansa to look down on her. There was a little part of Arya that felt a stab of Schadenfreude watching her working in a diner instead of making it in Hollywood. “No. I’m fine, thanks.”  
“He told me and Robb what happened, you know. Did you really snog him? Third base and all?” Arya asked out of burning curiosity before being pinched by Robb. “Ouch, I was just asking!”  
Asha looked a little offended by Arya’s bluntness, but she still answered her question with no shirking. “He assumed I was a groupie, and I didn’t enlighten him. That’s all I’m going to say on the matter.”  
“I’ve argued with him about his attitude towards women a million times, but he doesn’t listen. He was going to fall foul of it one day.”  
“You’re in a band with him, aren’t you?” Asha asked.  
“He resigned so he could audition for Krakken, but yeah, We used to write all the songs.” Arya confided, warming a little to the other woman.  
“What’s your opinion of him? Not as a man but as a band member?”  
Arya considered her answer. “You know what? He might be a right pain, and we fought constantly about creative shit, but Theon is a good songwriter and guitarist. He’s always been more serious and ambitious about it than me. I just want to have a bit of fun, play drums and do the odd backing vocal.”  
“You play drums?” Asha asked in interest, interrupting.  
“Yeah-“ Arya smiled a little. “-but he wanted to be good, he wanted to join Krakken, it was all he ever talked about. The arguments we used to have because he’d write all this heavy metal stuff for our band. Way too heavy for us, but probably perfect for you guys-”  
“Do you remember much about him before? When you guys were all on the road?” asked Robb.  
Asha sighed, finishing off her ristretto. “Look, the road was no place for a kid. I know that now, but it was all we knew.  
“By the time he came to us, he’d been in the system for a year or two. You can imagine how grim that was.” Robb told her.  
“-Our Dad wanted to foster him, give him a decent start. That’s the kind of person Dad is- give you the shirt off his back, he would. But he’s always longed to go back to his own family. To just be accepted by them.”  
Asha looked thoughtful at what Robb and Arya had just told her.  
“-and whatever trick you played on him didn’t help. I know he can be annoying as hell. But you have to understand where he’s coming from as well.”  
“I don’t know if it’s too late and we’ve both fucked this up too badly, but I’d really appreciate it if you gave him this.” She slipped a piece of paper over the table.  
Arya picked it up. “A phone number? You want him to keep in touch?”  
“He’s the only brother I have now, I’d rather not lose him.” Asha said as she paid for her items and left.

 

As they opened the door of the flat they all shared, Robb and Arya could hear Sepultura blasting through the door and smell pasta and meatballs simmering on the oven hob. It was a hopeful sign. They knew to worry about outright silence. Music was a good sign.  
“Hey, there’s dinner on the table. I’m going back to my room to work on a few tracks-“  
“Theon-“  
She could tell what he was doing: he was avoiding the situation by keeping busy and bustling. At least he wasn’t miserable and moping round the flat like a wet weekend.  
“Theon, please sit. You buzzing round like that is making me feel dizzy.” Robb said.  
Theon stopped and sagged like a wind-up toy losing power all of a sudden.  
“Arya met someone while she was writing her essay at the diner.” Robb started.  
They swopped a look wondering how to break it to him. “Asha came over to speak to us.” Arya added.  
“What the hell did she want?”  
“She gave me these.” she handed him a letter and a scrap of paper with some numbers on it.

Robb phoned his mum in the evening after Theon had sloped off out for a drink. It was time they got some answers about this and Mum had to know something. After all she and Ned had taken Theon in. Maybe the authorities had told them something, however small.  
“Hey Mum. How’s things back home?”  
He felt relieved at the sound of her voice on the other end of the line.  
“We had a couple of questions we wanted to ask. About Theon and his family.”  
“Theon?” Catelyn sounded alarmed on the other end of the line. “His family? What’s going on? Do you want your dad and me to come down? Is he in some kind of trouble?”  
“Mum, you don’t need to fret-“  
“If he’s in some kind of danger and trouble, then we-“  
“Mum, seriously!” Arya interrupted. “- he’s fine. Just a bruised ego. He’ll live.”  
“What’s going on with his family?” Catelyn persisted getting the conversation back on track.  
“He wanted to join their band. He auditioned for the position but I think things didn’t go well. He’s pretty cut up about it, and now his sister wants to keep in touch.”  
“You both don’t remember much about when he came to stay with us. You were both so young.”  
“When Theon was just a young boy, before he came to us he was on tour with his father and the band. There was some issue with his mother but I don’t know too much about that.”  
Robb was surprised his mum was prepared to be so forthcoming about Theon’s secrets. She must be very concerned about him.  
“They’re a pretty wild bunch- heavily into their drink, drugs and occult beliefs. You just imagine a young baby, in that environment, with no responsible adult to care for him.”  
“She said something like this. That it was part of their beliefs.” Arya remarked in the background.  
“Balon and his brothers. They tried to drown the boy as part of some ritual. The authorities took Theon away and put him into care. There was a girl as well, Asha or something- but they managed to keep her. She was a bit older and the papers said that another relative took her in. but he couldn’t afford to take them both.”  
“If your father and I ever got our hands on Balon, I would give him a piece of my mind. Theon wasn’t in a good way when he came to us. He used to be terrified of water- not surprising when they forcibly drowned him.” Catelyn sounded cross. “- imagine three grown men drowning a child. What if he’d died?”  
“They did what?” Robb’s voice was faint with horror. “-drowned?”  
“I know they’re his family but he needs to keep away from them. They’re not good people, Robb. If he’s going to get back in with them he’s going to need your help.”

“Christ, what do we do now?” Robb looked weary as he pushed a hand through his curls. “I never thought this was going to be so complicated.”  
“All we can do is give him the phone number and leave it to him to make the next move as to if he keeps in contact with his family.”  
Robb was still shocked by his mum’s revelation. “I never knew this was all so messed up. Drowning a child! Damn-“

Theon looked at the scrap of paper in his hand for a long time.  
He picked the crumpled letter out of the bin trying to decide if he really wanted to read it. Did he really want to get involved with the Greyjoys and Krakken again? Do I really need all that emotional hassle? They don’t really need me or want me around. Do I really want to get treated like shit by them?  
On the other hand, he would never get another chance to find out why his family let him go. Asha had sounded contrite after their fight at the rehearsal rooms. Maybe he should give her a chance to explain herself. He opened up the letter and started to read.  
\---  
Dear Theon,  
Shit, this is a really awkward letter to write!  
First things first: you’re probably mad at me, and I don’t really blame you. I should have told you who I actually was before we got off with each other. That was out of order.  
I worked damned hard for my position in the band. You night think I was being a bitch about it, and perhaps I was but in this business fans and band members tend not to take you too seriously if you’re a woman. You have to be twice and hard and twice as talented and three times as tough. Maybe I over-reacted to being taken for a groupie and lashed out at you.  
For what it’s worth, I wasn’t bull-shitting you about being talented. I really dug the solo and what you were doing on rhythm during ‘We do not sow’. You thought I didn’t notice you changing up the line a bit?  
I’m not going to front: Dad and Uncle Euron didn’t want you in the band. But I argued them down to some sessions. My advice: get your foot in the door and make yourself indispensable. You should have seen how they bitched when I told them I wanted to be in the band!  
I wouldn’t blame you if you walked away and wanted nothing to do with any of us. But I’d like to think that we can try and make it up. Mum would really appreciate it for certain. I told her we’d met again after all these years and she wept. She misses you so much!  
I’ve enclosed her address in case you want it, but please contact her before you go round, give her time to adjust to you being in her life. She’s still a bit fragile from what’s happened, OK?  
Your sis  
Asha Greyjoy

Had she actually tried to apologise? To hold an olive branch out to him? It stung all over again that she had mentioned Balon’s opposition to him joining but at least she had made some effort to try and put things right. He supposed he’d not tried to see it from her viewpoint. She was bound to be a bit defensive about someone else joining Krakken and potentially ousting her from the band.  
Before he could change his mind he dialled the number on the scrap of paper.

“Hello?” Asha answered on the first couple of rings, sounding a bit flustered. He could hear the sounds of a keyboard and telephones ringing. He wondered where she was. At work? In an office?  
He couldn’t imagine her in a suit working in some cubicle but she must earn a living somehow, and he doubted Krakken earned enough for the entire band to live off music full-time.  
“Why did you give Arya your phone number?” he burst out.  
“Theon, is that you? Wait a minute, god damned telephone. That’s better-”  
“Are you at work?” he asked, trying to envisage the scene and failing.  
“It’s fine, I can talk for a bit. Did you read my letter?”  
“Yeah, I did.”  
“Are you doing anything on Thursday night? It’s just that I’m doing a solo acoustic set with some friends of mine and I wondered if you’d like to show up? We can go for a drink later and talk, if you’d like?”  
He had work until six but he supposed he could get someone to swop with him for just one shift. “Okay.”  
“Great! Here’s the number for the office. Get them to send some passes for you and your friends. I’ll see you then, shall I?”


	5. Chapter 5

Robb, Arya and Theon arrived at the club waiting to be admitted.

“You alright, Theon?” Robb asked his friend. Theon was pacing along the sidewalk, jaw set and face pale. He stuffed his hands into his pockets to hide the fact that they were shaking so much he couldn't light a fag.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He nearly snapped, nerves fraying.

Robb just gave him a look, knowing his friend far too well. “You’re a terrible liar, you know that don’t you, Theon? Just saying-“

The quiet was getting to them. The street seemed to be deserted, even though it was still day-time. Theon had tried the door of the club, but it was firmly locked.

Eventually a member of staff poked their head through the door and told them that the artistes hadn’t arrived yet. "If you're hganging around for autographs, you can cear off until later. You're way too early!"

Arya gave him an offended look. "We're with tonight's artistes, actually!"

* * *

“Where’s Sansa? She’s late.” Arya pointed out.

“She’s probably on her way. We are early after all. I don’t think they’ve unlocked the club yet officially. She’ll be here, don’t fret.”

Since Sansa had moved here to LA to advance her career, Robb and Arya hadn’t seen much of her. She seemed to be always busy; going to auditions, being snapped by the Press ever more frequently accompanied by some pretty boy.

A car pulled up with a loud screech of tyres. Sansa got out, accompanied by a handsome dark-haired man, Jeyne Poole and a ridiculously pretty boy with curly golden-brown hair. 

“I’m not late, am I?” Sansa asked, looking ravishingly out of place in a floaty floral dress, a beautifully cut pale fawn suede jacket and matching cowboy boots. She looked as if she’d literally stepped off a photo-shoot for Vogue or Elle.

“No, we’re just epically early. Asha and the artistes haven’t even arrived yet.” Robb said, bounding up to give her a hug. "Hello, trouble!"

She batted his hands away from ruffling her hair, with an affectionate frown. "Robb, leave it will you?"

“It’s all my fault, I apologise. I managed to get hopelessly lost in this part of town.” Renly said leaning on the bonnet of his car. “- and Sansa was fretting so much about being late for whatever you guys are doing.”

"I remember you." Robb said with a welcoming smile at meeting an old family friend. He'd heard that Renly lived here and since he was a long-standing friend of the family and had a successful career here, he wasn't surprised to see him. 

“Thank you for the lift, Renly.” Sansa said sweetly giving him a little hug. 

“Tell me if you want a lift back. I’ll come back, or I’ll get a driver to pick you up.” he said smiling and chucking her under the chin affectionately. "You look spectacular, Princess!"

Sansa may have rolled her eyes a little at his exuberance, but she also blushed with pleasure.

Robb shook his hand. “It’s fine, I’ll see she gets home safely. Thanks for your care of her, Renly.”

Renly smiled. “Any time. No problem doing a kindness for you guys. You’re practically family to Robert." He scrawled his number on a crumpled napkin from his pocket. "I gave Sansa my number but count yourself invited to Sunday dinner at mine. It's a bit of a standing tradition, and friends are always welcome. Bring a bottle!"

"Thanks, Renly, we will!" Robb said enthusiastically. "Won't we Arya, and Theon?"

Renly grinned, shook hands once more and drove away in a whirl of metal."

 

* * *

Asha was doing a sound-check with her friends when they finally got into the venue. She was at the mic running through one of the songs for the night.

"She has a really good voice, doesn't she?" Sansa said, watching her carefully with the attention of the professional singer for another.

Asha's voice easily filled the space, full mellow and sweet. It was a real surprise for anyone who'd assumed she would sound exactly like she did on Krakken's records.

"She sounds a little bit like you." Sansa mentioned quietly to Theon

He made a face, just about to deny it, but Sansa had a point and she certainly knew her stuff vocally. Asha did sound like him a bit when she sung clean. There was something in the phrasing, in the tone that was very like.

_Are we more alike than we'd think?_

* * *

Backstage the group started drinking copiously after the gig. Theon found he was enjoying the opportunity to talk with his heroes, who were surprisingly down to earth and relaxed. One would have never have guessed these men were famous rock stars on the European metal scene and huge for some reason in South America.

“How on earth did you get to know Asha?” he asked Marco.

Marco took a swig of his beer looking amused. “Known Asha for years, haven’t we, Jari?”

“You all make me sound like an old woman-“ reproved Asha with a good-natured twinkle. She seemed so much more at ease with these people who appeared to accept her wholeheartedly. Less spiky and combative.

“A good girl, and a real talent. The magazine would send her to do our interviews as she knew our language.”

 _Was Asha blushing a little?_ Theon couldn't imagine his sister ever getting embarrassed about anything.

"However did you get to know Marco Hietala?" he asked.

“I used to go to the gigs and write for fanzines and blogs. A bit of anything- reviewing demos, writing up press releases, even packing crates, a bit of work experience for Spinefarm. Marco and his brother Sakari are -“

As he listened he realised that she meant what she said. Asha had evidently had to pay her dues, doing the most humble and menial jobs in the industry to gain contacts in the industry. No wonder she'd demanded respect. Once again he regretted mistaking her for a groupie.

“-And of course we were all big fans of Alannys as well.” interjected Marco with a swig of beer.

“Big fans of Alannys?” Theon asked, not quite understanding.

“Back in the day mum was a singer.” Asha muttered. She looked as if she didn’t really want to talk about it.

“A damned good one! She had quite a following especially in the Nordic countries. My brother Sakari and I used to go to every gig of hers we could. How we wanted her to sing on our first album!”

Jari nodded. He was a bit quieter than the ebullient Marco. "She had a gorgeous voice. Truly stunning. She could have been a huge star, if she had wanted. I guess she met Balon Greyjoy and well..." his voice trailed away, his sharp features settling into lines of regret and disappointment. "Such a loss to the folk and metal world. I often wondered what happened to her, y'know. She would have been ideal to sing on 'Tears'. I wrote it with her voice in mind."

"I wondered if you inherited some of that vocal talent like your sister actually." Marco mused. "She has a lovely clean voice, I just wish she'd use it a bit more." 

"There's not much call for it in Krakken, Marco." Asha murmured. "Balon and the guys need growl, not pretty little harmonies.

"Still a damn shame, though!" 

"Theon's a musician too, aren't you brother?" She said, deflecting attention from herself.

Theon was surprised that she would mention his musical efforts in front of his metal idols. _Is this her way of making up for dismissing me at the audition?_ Frankly, he was shocked that she would even bother, or that she rated him as a musician.

"He's a really good rhythm guitarist and you sing as well, don't you Theon?"

"A bit." he assented, feeling embarrassed.

Arya frowned at his reticence. She could see that these guys' opinions were important to him. As long as she could remember he been banging on about bands like Tarot and Ensiferum and now the daft beggar was sitting in front of his idols and hiding his light under a bushel? Gods, being knocked back by Krakken had really done a number on his confidence!

"Of course Theon sings!" She blurted out, before Theon could nudge her to be silent.

Sansa chimed in eagerly, remembering how he used to sing duets with her and mother when he was younger. " Mum taught him and she sings at the Met. He's got a decent lyric baritone voice, but he mostly plays metal now."

Marco looked interested, while Jari stared at Sansa, entranced by her pretty face. "So you have a decent clean voice, then?" he looked at Theon speculatively.

"I know what I'm talking about, I used to sing on Broadway, but I'm moving into film and TV now I've moved here." Sansa was saying with fervent enthusiasm to Marco, gesturing excitedly as she talked. "Theon absolutely can sing, it's just a damn shame he never got a chance to show Krakken what he can do."

Marco smiled. "Well, we'll have to make sure we hear him properly. You'll have to bring him to our next gig here and we'll jam with him too, How does that sound? Perhaps he inherited your mother's gift too?"

 _How did he not know this about his own mother?_ He felt as if his own family were strangers and the thought made him feel uncomfortable. He downed his drink, not wanting to think about it.


End file.
